Improvement in car-brake attachments



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE JOHN C. WANDS, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-BRAKEIATTACHMETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 219,042, dated August 26, 1879; application tiled J uly'22, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J. C. WANDS, of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and valuable p Improvement in Gar-Brake Attachments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a Fig. 2 is a detail view of the under side of the dog and box-bearing. y

This invention has relation to improvements in brakes for railway-cars.

The objects of the invention are mainly to devise means whereby the pawl will be held positively to its engagement with the brakerod ratchet and accurately vibrated into and out of connection therewith, andto allow the rod to rise to a certain extent without raising the ratchet-wheel above and out of engagement with the pawl, whereby, inputting on brakes, the pawl cannot fail to take hold on the ratchet and hold the shoes against the wheel.

The nature of the invention consists in combining with a bearing-plate anda brake-rod having its bearings therein, and carrying a ratchet-wheel secured thereon, a box-bearing on said plate, a pawl or dog vibratin g in said box on a pivot extending through it,and prevented by said box from all vertical displacement.

It also consists in a recess formed in the top of said plate, in which Ythe ratchet-wheel is received, the pawl being on the higher part of the plate and engaging the upper part of the ratchet, whereby, as the brake-chain is wound up and the brake-rod is moved up, the ratchet-wheel also rises, but not sufficiently to clear the pawl, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth. y

In the annexed drawings, the letter A designates a strong ri ght-an gular metallic plate, having in its longer leg holes a, by means of which the said plate is secured to the end of the car, with its horizontal branch resting on the top thereof, and beveled on its under side to correspond to the slope vof the roof.

The verticalleg b of the bearing-plate is provided with two eyes, c, in which is journaled the brake-rod B, connected in the usual way, by a chain, to the brake mechanism under the car, and provided 4at its upper end with a band-wheel.

O indicates a ratchet-wheel, secured, in the usual or any suitable way, to rod B, and lying partly-say about half its thickness--in a recess, e, formed under the said ratchet-wheel in the horizontal branch f of the bearing-plate. The inner end of the branch f, inside of recess e, is higher considerably than the bottom of said recess, and upon it is applied the boxbearing J, having an interior circular bearing,

with a foot-rest, j', and a power-arm, j, the-latter being bent down to correspond to the pitch of the roof.

The box J is placed in position by inserting the pawl therein, and then engaging its spurs z' in the recesses of the bearing-plate; andthe said pawl is pivoted to the bearing and the box secured thereto by a pivot-pin, l, passing centrally through the box and rounded part of the pawl, and through the plate, which pin has a nut, n, on its lower end. The box fits snugly on the pawl, and allows it to vibrate horizontally, but effectually prevents vertical displacement or vibration. Consequently, when the brakes are on and it is engaged with the ratchet, it cannot be disconnected therefrom casually, nor can it wabble during the putting on7 of the brakes, so as to render its engagement with the ratchet uncertain or unreliable. While the brake-rod is being turned and the chain Wound thereon theformer rises endwise more or less, and in many instances so high as to be above the pawl. Under these circumstances the locking of the brakes is impossible. This defect I remedy by recessing the ratchet-wheel, as aforesaid, so that under ordinary circumstances the pawl will only engage its upper or middle part; but as the brake-rod rises, the pawl becomes engaged with the middle or lower part. This result can only be obtained by recessing the ratchet-wheel, iixing the paWl, and allowing the said Wheel to rise with the brakerod.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the angular bearing-plate A, having eyes c on its vertical branch, the brake-rod turning in said eyes, and the ratchet-Wheel secured on said rod, of the box-bearing J, the pawl vibratin g through the said bearing, and the pin l and nut n, conning the box and pawl to the said bearingplate, substantially as specified.

JOHN U. VANDS.

Witnesses:

FRANK J. MAsI, JOHN A. ELLIs. 

